Plan for 'fever hospital'

A Dunedin developer is proposing to build up to 19 new
student flats around the former ''fever hospital'' near Logan
Park.

Hawkdun Properties Ltd has applied for consent to divide the
area into three lots and build 19 new residential units on
two of the lots.

They will be in addition to the four student flats inside the
residential buildings - the category 1 historic place the
former Pelichet Bay Infectious Diseases Hospital and morgue.

The hospital buildings and surrounding land were bought in
2011 by Hawkdun, which upgraded the 1908 buildings at the
time and continued to use them as student accommodation.

The buildings were owned by the University of Otago for 50
years before that and used as student accommodation.

The proposed new development involved one-storey flats in
front of the hospital building, in order not to screen the
historic building, and two-storey flats to either side.

The new buildings had been designed by Mason and Wales
Architects. Patrick Young Wales, the son of the original
partner of Mason and Wales, designed the hospital.

They would complement the historic building's architecture.

An agreement had been reached with the owners of the
neighbouring quarry that a condition of any consent would
recognise the quarry operation, meaning no complaints could
be made about any noise, dust or vibrations from it.

Hawkdun Properties shareholder Alistair Broad said given
Heritage New Zealand had placed a covenant on the building,
the company thought it was a good time to establish its
vision for the whole site.

''We won't necessarily build these overnight.''

Heritage NZ Otago-Southland area manager Jonathan Howard said
the organisation had worked closely with Hawkdun since it
bought the site and the covenant anticipated the proposed
subdivision of the wider site.

Members of the public can make submissions to the Dunedin
City Council on the proposed development until August 8.